Sugar Cane Train

I have wanted to get on board that train with my camera and a video camera for quite some time now, but sadly missed it by 1hr today.

The big boss told me that at 2pm everyday, the train arrives in Luxor, picks up arabeya's (Carriages) full of sugar cane harvested from the area and heads off to Armant. She whistles as she crosses over roads and through fields, signalling that people can come and pull a stick from the bursting carriages. It is a game that is payed by many including local traffic police and small children alike. They then break it in half and rip the outside casing off with their teeth and chomp through the sweetness....Not possible with my teeth!

Armant is one of 8 factories in Egypt, that turn this cane into molasses (Black Honey) refined sugar, juice with even the by products being used as a raw material for plywood.

The work involved in growing, harvesting and transporting is almost a labour of love. So much so, that recently farmers have gathered in front of the Armant Sugar Factory to protest the authorities' failure to implement their longstanding demand to raise sugar cane prices to LE400 per tonne (Currently they get 300le per tonne)

Had a wonderful chat with these guys, who were having so much fun as they worked.